Latching device for trunk-drawers



Ei W. HAWLEY.

LATCHING DEvlcE FOR TRUNK nHAwERs.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 29. 1920. 1,366,451 v Patented Jan. 25, 1921. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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E. w. HAWLEY.

LATCHING DEVICE FOR TRUNK DRAWERSw APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1920. 1,366,451 Patented Jan. 25, 1921.

` 2 SHEETS-SHEE 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE W. HAWLEY, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LATCI-IING DEVICE FOR TRUNK-DRAWERS.

To all ui/0m t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EUGENE W. HAWLEY, acitizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Latching Devices for Trunk-Drawers, oi which the following' is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this speciication.

This invention relates to drawer latching means for trunks, and is more particu- Vlarly designed for latching the drawers of a wardrobe trunk.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and eiiicient device of this character, which is and in which the locking members are so positioned and mounted that they do not obstruct access to the drawers, or other'compartment, when the drawers are latched or unlatched.

A further object of my invention is to provide spring latching means which will free the drawers when the latches are moved against the action of their retaining springs, together with a keyactuated lock Jfor locking the latches and'thereby the drawers.

A still further object of my invention is to mount the latches within one of the reinforcing members to conceal them and to economize space. y c

The precise nature ora my invention will be more clearly understood, by reference to the accompanying drawings, which will now be described, it being premised, however, that changes may be made in the details of construction, as well as the arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Figure 1, is a face view of a portion ot a wardrobe trunk with one form of my invention applied thereto, 'and in which the trunk is vshown in its open position, while the drawers yare closed and latched.

Fig. 2, is a sectional viewvon the line 2 of F ig. l.

Fig. 3, is a sectional viewthrough the latch casing, with the drawer locking bars in their latched positions.

F ig. 4, is a similar view on a larger scale showing the bar unlatched.

Fig. 5, is a face view of a portion of the latch case and a portion of one of the latches.

Application filed .Tune 29, 1320.

neat in appearance,

vouter face of one Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 25, 1921. Serial No. 392,777.

Fig. 6, is a detail sectional view on the line (3*6 or" Fig. 3.

Fig. 7, is a detail view hinge connection for the bars.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail sectional views of other forms of latching bars.

In these drawings the reference character 10, designates the drawer compartment of a trunk to which is hinged the usual hanger compartment 11. Slidabl.y mounted in the usual way in the compartment 11 are drawers 12, there being ive suchv dran-*ers shown in the present case, 13 are drawer locking bars hinged to the sides of the compartment 10 by means of spring' hinges 14, the one member of each hinge is connected to the outer face of one of memberof each hinge is connected to the of the side members of the compartment. 15 is a metal reinforclng member surrounding the edges of the side members of compartment 10, and which covers one of the members of each hinge and which also over .laps the edges of compartment 11, when the trunk is closed.

These spring hinges 14;, are arranged to hold the bars out of the path of the drawers, when the bars are in their unlatched position, as shown in Figs.A 2 and 4. I

It. will readily be understood that other spring means for holding the bars in their retracted positions can be used, in place of the spring hinges shown.

Secured to the front of a compartment reinforcing member 16, between two of the drawers 12, is a sheet metal casing 1.7 of channel or U- shaped cross-section, the flanges thereof being secured to the member 16, while the web forms the 4face of the reinforcing member.

18 are keepers, there being one secured to the inner face of each of the holding bars 13 and are arranged to pass through openings in the face of the casing 17 and across the path of latches 19, which latch the bars 13 in the path of the drawers 12 and lock cnem against movement. l

These latches 19 are slidably mounted in the casing 17 and are maintained in their locking positions by a spring 20. 21 are linger pieces connected to the latches 19 and which project through suitable openings on opposite sides of a key lock casing 22, mounted on the front of the casing 17. The arrangement being such that the latches can showing a spring drawer securing the bars while the other be locked against movement, and thereby lock the drawers. Y

The keepers are provided with recesses for the recention of the ends o1 the latches 19 while the races thereof beveled to a j a 1 permit them tcreadily push tne latches 1Q ae'ainst the action ot their s irme' 2O when c: 1 5 7 the locking bars are swung into the path or the drawers 12. Mounted within the casing 17 and at each end thereoil is leaf spring 23, arranged to engage the ends of the keepers 1S when the locking bars are latched as shown in Fig. 3.

rllhese Sarinqs are )rnnaril arranged to eject the keepers 18 from the casing 1T when' they are released from the latches 19, and the springs of the hinges 1e will maintain the locking bars 13 out oit the path ot the drawers. The springs 23 not only act to eject the keepers, but they maintain them together with the ends o'i the latches 19 under pressure when the drawers are latched or locked, and prevent these .parts from rattling. 24; is a locking hook on the compartment 10 for receiving` the usual locking member on compartment 11 and the one locking bar 13 is recessed te clear said locking hook.

In the construction shown in Fie'. 8, the recesses in keepers 18aA on the locking bars 13a, extend in the same direction, while in the case just described the recesses extend in opposite directions. 1n this last vform only one latch such as 19a is necessary and is retained in its latched position by a spring 20a, interposed between a lug on the casing 17a and a lug on the latch. 22a is a keylock lock case, secured to the latch 19a and which forms the linger piece for shifting the latch, as well as a lock for securing the latch against movement from its latched position.

1n Fig. 9, 1 have shown a further modification, which is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 6, in which 1 have used the same reference characters with the letter b aiiixed for designating similar parts. 1n this form the springs 2Gb engage lugs on the latches 19b and lugs `on the casing 17h. fThe nger pieces are eliminated in this form and the latches 19a are arranged to be moved against the action of their springs by a wedge shaped key 25, which is adapted to pass through a lock case 22b on the casing 17".

When it is desired to latchv the drawers, they are closed and the locking bars 13 are swung across their path and latched as shown in Fig. 3, and in order to free the drawers, it is only necessary to move Vthe latches 19 to free the keepers, and the locking `bars 13 will be swung clear of the path of the drawers and willvbe retained in this position.

If it is desired to lock the drawers to prevent access without the use of a key, the lock- 'ers 'ing either or both of said bars slidably messer ing bars 13 are first latched across the path oil the drawers, as above described, and the latches 19 are then locked against movement by means of a key which is inserted into the lock case 22.

rThe advantages ot my invention result from the provision of a locking bar or lecking` bars arranged to be swung across the path of the-drawers to prevent their being opened together with a bar latching means mounted in the frame oit the trunk for latching said bar or bars in their closed positions, further form the provision of a locking device or locking the latching means against movement.

Having now fully described my invention, what 1 claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A wardrobe trunk, having a compartment, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in the compartment, a drawer locking bar pivoted along each side ol the compartment arranged to lock .both sides of each drawer, and arranged to independently dswing into and out of the path of the drawand a single latching means for latchmounted in the framework of the compartment.

2. A wardrobe trunln'having a compartment, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in the compartment, a drawer locking bar pivoted along each side of the compartment arranged to lock both sides of each drawer, and arranged to independently swing into and out of the path of the drawers, a single latching means for latching either or both of said bars slidably mounted in the framework of the compartment, and a lock for locking the means.

3. A wardrobe trunk, having a compartment, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in the compartment, a drawer locking bar pivoted along each side of the compartment and arranged to swing into and out of the path of the drawers, a latch casing mounted between two of said drawers, and spring actuated latching means for the locking bars within said casing.

il. A wardrobe trunk, having a compartment, a plurality of drawersv slidably mounted in the compartment, a drawer locking bar pivoted along each side of the compartment and arranged to swing into and out of the path of the drawers, a latch casing mountedbetween two of said drawers, and a lock' for locking the latching means.

5. A wardrobe trunk, having a compartment, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in the compartment, a drawer locking bar pivoted along each side of the compartment and arranged to swing into and out of the path of the drawers, springmeans for swinging said bars out of the path of the drawers, a keeper on each locking bar, having a latch recess, a sheet metal casing between two of the drawers, said casing having openings for the keepers, and spring pressed latching means in said casing for said keepers.

6. A wardrobe trunk, having a compartment, a plurality of drawers slidably mounted in the compartment, a drawer locking bar pivoted along each side of the compartment and arranged to swing into and out of the path of the drawers, spring means for sw' ging said bars out of the path of the drawers, a keeper on each locking bar, having a latch recess, a sheet metal casing between two of the drawers, said casing having openings for the keepers, and a lock for locking the latching means.

7. A wardrobe trunk having a compartment, drawers slidably site ends of the drawers, a spring actuated latching contrvance extending between the bars and adapted to hold the bars in the path of the drawers and adapted to be manually operated to withdraw it from holding position, and means adapted, when the latching contrivance is so withdrawn from holding position, to automatically move said bars out of the path of the drawers.

In testimony7 of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 23rd day of June, 1920.

EUGENE W. HAWLEY.

mounted therein,y vdrawer locking bars arranged valong oppo- 

